The Cecil Whig., 1887-06-04
KENTUCKY PIONEER LIFE.
interesting. Incidents OF EARLY Days in ihe
Ozark and Bloody Ground"

Interestin. Incidents of EARLY Days in The
.Dtrk and Bloody Ground"
FROM Hnpcrs MdgG=tue for .Itu1c.
The dangers which Boone and his com
companions encountered in the fields
came to the very doors of their cabins,
and constantly menaced their families.
Indians lurged slngly or in parties to
seize prisoner or take scalp whenever
an incautiouS white should give the OPP
portunity. Frequent combats (and each
combat ended, as a rule in the death of
one or both of those engaged) had habi-
tuated the men to danger 1t was later
that they felt the danger of their wives
and children.
Late on "a Sunday afternoon in July,
l116, three young girls ventrled from
the enclosure of BoonesborOush 20 amuse
themselves with a canoe upon the river
that flowed by the fort. lnsensibly they
drifted with the lazy current, and before
they were aware of their danger were
seized by five warriors. Their resistance
was useless, though they welded the
paddles with desperation. Their canoe
was drawn ashore, and they were hurried
off in rapid retreat toward the Shawnee
towns in Ohio. Their screams were heard
at the fort, and the cause well guessed.
Two of the girls were Betsey and Frances.
daughters of Col. Richard Galloway, the
other was Jemima, daughter of Boone.
The fathers were absent, but soon return
ed to hear the evil news and arrange the
pursuit. Galloway assembled mounted
party, and was away Though the woods
to head Oft the Indians, if possible, be-
fore they might reach and cross the OAio,
or before the fatigue OF their rapid march
should So overcome the poor girls as to
cluse their captors to tom lhawk them,
and SO disencumber their flight.
Boone start d directly on the trail
through the thlcketS and canesbrakeS.
| HIS rule was never to ride # he could
possibly walk. All his journeys and
hurts, escapes and pursuits, were on
foot. His little party numbered eight,
and the anxiety of a father r's heart quick
ened its leader, and found a ready re-
sponse in the breasts of three young men,
the lovers of the girls.
Betsey Callaway, the oldest Of the
girls, marked the trail, as the Indians
hurried then along, by breaking twigs
and bending bushes, and when threatened
with the tomahawk if she persisted, tore
small bits from her dress and dropped
them to guide the pursuers. Where the
| ground was soft enough to receive an
| impression, they would impress a foot
| print. The flight was IN the best Indian
method the Indians marched some
yards apart through the bushes and cane
| compelling their captives to do the same.
| When a creek was crossed they waded in
its water to distant point, where the
march would be resumed. BY all the
caution and skill of their training the
Indians endeavored to obscure the trial
and perplex the pursuers.
| The nightfall of the first day stopped
the pursuit of Boone before he had gone
| far; but he mad fixed the direction the
Indians were taking. and at early dawn
was following them. The chase was con.
tinued with all the speed that could be
made for thirty miles. Again darkness
compelled a halt, and again at crack of
day on Tuesday the pursuit was renew
| ed. 1t was not long before a light film
of smoke that rose i'll the distance show
ed where the Indians were cooking a
break fast of buffalo meat. The pursuers
cautiously approached, fearing lest the
Indians might slay their captives and es
cape. Col John Floyd, who was one Of
the party (himself afterWard killed by
! lndians), thus described tie attack and
| the rescIe i'll a letter written the next
! Sunday To the Lieulenau of Fincastle,
| Col William Preston:
"Our study had been how to get the
| prisoners without giving the Indians
time to murder them after they discDv
cred us. Four of us fired, and all of us
rushed on them by which they We're
prevented from carrying anything away
except one shotgun without ammuni-
tion. Colonel Boone and myself had each
| tt,yf f,jr shot and hoy har,p 70
off. | am we'll convinced | shot one
through the body. The one he shot
dropped his gun; mine had none. The
| place was covered with thick cane, and
being 50 much elated on recovering the
three poor little eart-broken girls, we
were prevented from making any further
! search. We sent the Indians off almost
naked. some without their moccasns,
| and none of them with so much as a
knife or tomahawk After the girls came
to themselves sufficiently to speak, they
told us there were five Indians, four
| ShawansSe and one Cherokee ee: rhey could
speak good English, and said they should
| 90 to the Shawanese towns The war
cub we got was like those | have seen Of
that nation, and several words OF ther
! languages, which tue girls retained, were
| known to be Shawanese.'
The return with the rescued girls was
the occasion for great rejoicing. To
| crown their satisfaction. the young lovers
had proved their prowess, and under the
eye Of the greatest of all woodsmeu had
shown their skill and courage They had
fairly won the girls they loved. Two
weeks later IA general summons went
throughou the little settlements to at
tend the first wedding ever Solemniz d on
| kentucky soil. Samuel HENDERSON and
| Betsy Galloway were married in the pres
ence of an approved company that cele-
brated the event with dancing and feast
ing. The formal license from the county
court was not waited for, as the court
house of FincaStle, Of which county Ken
lucky vas part, was distant more than
six hundred miles The ceremony con
sisted of the contract with witnesses,
and religious vows administered by
| Boone's brother, who was an occasional
preacher of the persuasion popularity
known as Ilardshell BaptiSts. Frances
Galloway became within year the wife
of the gallant Captain John Holder al
terward greatly distinguished i'll the
pioneer annals and Bones daughter
married the son of his friend Galloway.